Nuclear-armed India has tested its first hypersonic missile, its defense minister said on Sunday, releasing the ultra-fast high-tech weapon days after rival China demonstrated its latest military aviation capabilities.
Hypersonics are the new frontier in missile technology because they fly lower and are harder to detect than ballistic missiles, can reach targets faster and can be instructed to change targets mid-flight.
The United States, Russia, China and North Korea have all tested hypersonic missiles, and several others are developing the technology.
“India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting test flights of long-range hypersonic missiles,” Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a statement.
The test flight comes days after rival and neighbor China demonstrated its growing aviation capabilities at an air show, displaying the J-35A stealth fighter jet and attack drones.
According to Chinese state media, this included the debut of the HQ-19 surface-to-air missile system, designed to intercept ballistic missiles and hypersonic hover vehicles.
An Indian missile was fired from Abdul Kalam Island off the east coast on Saturday.
Video footage released by India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) showed a sleek missile shooting into the night sky, followed by a wave of flames.
“This is a historic moment and this significant achievement has placed our country in the group of select countries that have such crucial and advanced military technologies,” Singh added.
No further details have been given about the missile.
New Delhi has deepened defense cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including in the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia.
India is also a major buyer of Russian military hardware, including Moscow's S-400 missile defense system – despite the threat of US sanctions over the multibillion-dollar deal.
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